I had mammo, then us and now they want me to have MRI but no biopsy. Is this normal procedure? My ins. did not want to pay for MRI but my doctor sent appeal and they approved it. The radiologist said probable cause for concern. what does this mean?

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anonymous

Learning About Breast Cancer
over 2 years

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anonymous

Patient

I had the same process. The mamogram did not show tumors. My symptom was a bleeding nipple.The Dr. had a gut feeling that there was something going on. They did the MRI, showed areas of concern. They then proceeded with the biopsy. Showed no cancer. The surgeon encouraged me strongly to have a lumpectomy, as again, he had that gut feeling. He performed that lumpectomy and he found 5 tumors, 2 large in my breast. He saved my life. No real answer as to why my tumors did not show. I hope your results are different, but I will be forever grateful my surgeon was persistent.

anonymous

Learning About Breast Cancer

I had a mammogram then ultrasound. Came back BI_RAD 5. I had a great radiologist! Biopsy (malignant)then they had me do MRI w/contrast.2days later,another ultrasound.then wanted me to have MRI guided biopsy. I opted out cuz I'm getting a bilateral masectomy but I honestly hope your dr is just being cautious!! Some dr are hard to convince w tests.:-) also MRI picked up R sided masses that mammo&U.S missed. Good luck

anonymous

Survivor since 2012

anonymous

Learning About Breast Cancer

Thank you for responding. I did have a knot on my breast I found and thats why doctor sent me for mammo then called me in for ultrasound. When I went in for ultrasound, the tech seemed to think my breast just had cysts and no big deal. Then doctor...

Thank you for responding. I did have a knot on my breast I found and thats why doctor sent me for mammo then called me in for ultrasound. When I went in for ultrasound, the tech seemed to think my breast just had cysts and no big deal. Then doctor called and wanted me to have MRI after radiologist reviewed my previous mammo and ultrasounds compared to the new one. Doctor also said breasts where very dense and have changed from prev. mammos and ultrasounds. This is only on my right breast. I am just a little scared and confused why I am having a MRI instead of biopsy? After researching it looked like most have biopsy first then MRI.

anonymous

Survivor since 2012

If you have dense breast( I'm 63 and post menopause), the doctor must have a good picture. That MRI will give him the picture he needs before a biopsy. Most of us have to beg for one and confront the insurance company before we get one. I know...

If you have dense breast( I'm 63 and post menopause), the doctor must have a good picture. That MRI will give him the picture he needs before a biopsy. Most of us have to beg for one and confront the insurance company before we get one. I know it's scary but you're on the road to health, it is just seems a slow process in discovery.

anonymous

Survivor since 2012

PS- keep us posted. I get a bone density test tomorrow and a mammogram next week. I have to ask my doctor if he can get me the MRI. I'm post treatment but would like to know about my right breast since my mammogram never showed cancer until I was...

PS- keep us posted. I get a bone density test tomorrow and a mammogram next week. I have to ask my doctor if he can get me the MRI. I'm post treatment but would like to know about my right breast since my mammogram never showed cancer until I was Stage 2A IDC. Hang tough . :-)

anonymous

Learning About Breast Cancer

Thank you. I will keep posted. The wait is so hard but trying to stay busy and positive. I go in on Nov. 9th since they wanted me to be within 6 to 10 days after my cycle. I just turned 47 last week. My insurance did deny MRI at first and took...

Thank you. I will keep posted. The wait is so hard but trying to stay busy and positive. I go in on Nov. 9th since they wanted me to be within 6 to 10 days after my cycle. I just turned 47 last week. My insurance did deny MRI at first and took couple of weeks with my doctor appealing, finally got approval. Will be thinking of you tomorrow and next week with positive thoughts, please let me know how yours goes. :)

anonymous

Survivor since 2010

If you have a lump you can feel and the momogram showed nothing ( which is what I had). I would find a breast surgon in your area and have a sonogram and biopsy. Thats how I found out I had stage 3 breast cancer. The momogram doctor wanted me to...

If you have a lump you can feel and the momogram showed nothing ( which is what I had). I would find a breast surgon in your area and have a sonogram and biopsy. Thats how I found out I had stage 3 breast cancer. The momogram doctor wanted me to wait another 3 months and have another mamogram. I know its scarey but you have to take control of your treatment. I would be on the phone with your insurance company. Don't take an answer you are not comfortable with. Keep calling until you talk to someone who has been with the insurance company for a long time and get a referance number. They record all of these conversations.Fight it later, Your doctors front office knows how to fight it. You need to find out if you have cancer or not.

anonymous

Learning About Breast Cancer

Thanks Carla. I had a mammogram and an ultrasound. Radiologist said had dense breasts and fibrocystic changes from last mammogram which was couple of years ago. He said "probable cause for concern" and recommended a MRI. Insurance denied at...

Thanks Carla. I had a mammogram and an ultrasound. Radiologist said had dense breasts and fibrocystic changes from last mammogram which was couple of years ago. He said "probable cause for concern" and recommended a MRI. Insurance denied at first but my doctor sent appeal with clinical info and now they have approved it. I also received letter with a reference number. I have a area on breast that is purplish and have pain so just a little nervous as to whats going on. Everything goes thru your head during the waiting. thanks again.

anonymous

Learning About Breast Cancer

Yes its a f/u for a suspicious finding on a mammo and ultra sound. Keep in mind not all suspicious findings are cancer. Sometimes they watch and repeat the mri and it goes away or remains stable in size and sometimes they do an MRI biopsy, Good...

Yes its a f/u for a suspicious finding on a mammo and ultra sound. Keep in mind not all suspicious findings are cancer. Sometimes they watch and repeat the mri and it goes away or remains stable in size and sometimes they do an MRI biopsy, Good Luck Pat

anonymous

Learning About Breast Cancer

Yes, I have a friend who breast cancer can only be detected by MRI. She catches it very early, has had it 3 times, and is healthy as can be and has no cancer now. So go get the MRI it will be definitive. And if you need the biopsy, they will know where to take it out.

anonymous

Learning About Breast Cancer

That was my exact procedure in jan. they want to look at the area much better to locate wxactly where for the biopsy! There is just so much to read & think about!! All the beat to you & your family! Be string

anonymous

Stage 1 Patient

Each diagnostic test (mammogram, sonogram, MRI) detects abnormalities in different ways. I learned this recently as well. I was scheduled for a lumpectomy on 10-29-12 to remove two malignant lumps from the same breast. My surgeon ordered a pre-surgery MRI of both breasts to make sure there weren't any surprises and the lumpectomy was still a good option. Well.....surprise! My MRI revealed THREE additional abnormalities that were not on the mammogram, two in the already affected breast and one in the other.
Needless to say, my surgery has been rescheduled to a later date because the three new areas of concern must be biopsied to see if my lumpectomy has to morph into a bi-lateral mastectomy. The biopsy is two days after the originally scheduled lumpectomy. I'm an emotional wreck occasionally because now there's all the uncertainty again but I'm glad the MRI was ordered. I'd hate to have a lumpectomy with subsequent treatment only to find out 6 or 12 months down the road that there was more cancer and end up with a mastecomy after all.
Your doctor is just trying to cover all the bases. If the MRI reveals additional abnormalities that need biopsy, you may only have to go through one biopsy procedure instead of two like me.

anonymous

Learning About Breast Cancer

Did your Mammo and sono find anything? I had a negative mammo, negative sono, but did have enlarged lymph node. MRI was done, it too is negative, but the node was positive for breast cancer. Go figure. I am in the process of further testing then will start treatment. I have what is called occult breast cancer. Which means they cannot find the primary, but do have breast cancer in lymph node. Fortunately bone scan and whole body CT were both negative, except for node. Good luck on your test but have the MRI. Cancer can be a sneaky little devil. Chase it down and kick it's flank.

anonymous

Learning About Breast Cancer

Thank you. My doctor said that both were abnormal and that radiologist said "probable cause for concern" on utlrasound and highly recommended MRI. My mammo's in previous years have always been abnormal but never been referred on for MRI. Glad my...

Thank you. My doctor said that both were abnormal and that radiologist said "probable cause for concern" on utlrasound and highly recommended MRI. My mammo's in previous years have always been abnormal but never been referred on for MRI. Glad my doctor is pushing it as my insurance didn't want to pay but he appealed and got it approved. Good luck to you too and keep us posted.

anonymous

Learning About Breast Cancer

I have very dense breasts and have been having regular mamograms for years. Twice had to have a sonogram also. I have very dense breasts. My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. Her doctor recommended I come in for an appt....I went today. She is having me get a regular mamogram and MRI. The mamogram doesn't pick up the kind of cancer my sister had....it isn't pea shaped instead it looks like shreads of paper. My sister had 2 mamograms and all looked fine. In reality her doctors told her that the cancer was likely present for at least 18 months to 2 years. The MRI is much better for this kind of cancer and for dense breasts. If there is anything that shows up on the MRI then the doctor will do a biopsy. She did tell me there are sometimes false positives with the MRI especially when you have the first one done. Good luck with everything.

anonymous

Learning About Breast Cancer

I had a. Diagnostic mamo and ultrasound and tthey still didn't know they said I could have a biopsy in6 mths that was a year ago. I pushed for the biopsy and they ruled out no cancer . I would push for it for peace of mind

anonymous

Stage 2A Patient

I went through the mammogram, ultra sound, then and MRI. the biopsy came after the biopsy. If you do have a biopsy, you will most likely have another mammogram so they can keep track of the "marker" they put in during the biopsy.

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